Lost at Sea
by ssirius-blackk
Summary: Shipwrecked and completely alone in the middle of the Caribbean Sea, Captain Gold and Lady Belle French work together to survive. As time goes by, they grow closer.


Merry Rumbelle Secret Santa lizandletdie! It was such a pleasure to write this for you, and to get to know you better! I really you hope you like this (:

Also, a huge thank you (though she's probably sick of my gratitude) to thelasthomelyurl from tumblr for being such a kind and patient beta.

 **Prompt:** stranded on a desert island

* * *

Captain Gold woke up to the sound of crashing waves and seagulls. His torso felt warm and dry but his legs were covered by the water.

He opened his eyes only to shut them again. The sun was glaring down on him, bright and blinding. With a raised hand, he shielded his eyes and blinked them into focus. Then he started to move around and stopped as sharp pain shot up through from his ankle. He cried out in pain, rolling over onto his side and clutching his leg.

Gold hissed through clenched teeth as he willed the agonizing pain to disappear when he heard a quiet groan beside him. Surprised to discover that he wasn't alone, he glanced up and saw that it was Lady Belle French, his ship's one and only passenger.

He gaped at her, the throbbing in his leg forgotten in his confusion. How the hell did they end up laying face up on what appeared to be shore?

He saw that she still wore that silly, heavy gold dress, though now it was more torn and ripped in multiple places. Gold recalled her saying how ridiculous she felt wearing it on a voyage from England to the Caribbean. But they were nearing their destination, so she had to get used to dressing in such hot weather.

Belle stirred awake, then rubbed her eyes and turned her head towards him. Ever so slowly, she opened them. They widened when she saw who was beside her. She pushed herself up into a sitting position and looked around. Finally, she turned her gaze back at the man next to her.

"C-Captain Gold?" she asked hoarsely.

Gold nodded. "Aye, it's me," he replied, his voice cracking in his dry throat. "Are you alright, milady?" he asked.

"I think so," Belle said. Her ocean blue eyes travelled up and down his body. " _You_ don't seem alright, however," she added.

Belle's hands hovered over his body and she bit her lip.

"Is it your leg?" She asked.

He nodded again.

With some effort, Belle managed to pull him out of the water to examine his leg. She rolled up his torn trousers and saw something sticking out of his shin. She covered her mouth to stifle her gasp of surprise.

"It's quite bad, isn't it?" he observed, sitting up more. He grimaced at the ugly sight.

"I think the bone is sticking out. I'm sure it feels worse for you," Belle pointed out.

Gold grunted and shrugged. He sat up and looked around him. He saw the endless expanse of ocean in front of them and a small forest of palm trees behind. There was little life aside from sea gulls and crabs; it was clear that they were the only humans inhabiting the island.

With an audible sigh, he pinched the bridge of his nose and closed his eyes. Gold wracked through his mind, trying to grab the memory of how they got there. He finally gave up and looked at Belle.

"You wouldn't happen to know how we got here, would you, milady?" he asked.

"Belle," she corrected him.

Gold tilted his head. "What?"

"My name is Belle, and since it appears that we're going to be together for a while, I would like you to call me Belle," she stated firmly. "And no, I have no idea how we got stranded here. My memory is a little…foggy."

Gold laughed despite himself. He supposed she was right: they were as far from polite society as possible, and if they wanted to survive until another ship appears on the horizon, they may as well try to get along.

"Very well then, Belle. You can call me Gold," he said after a moment of silence.

"Just Gold?" Belle lifted a skeptical eyebrow.

"I don't much care for my Christian name," he said in lieu of an explanation.

Realizing that he wasn't going to explain any further, Belle nodded reluctantly. They fell silent once again, both looking out at the distance and listening to waves crashing against the shore.

Gold shifted slightly and once again hissed in pain, he had forgotten about his hurt right leg.

Belle immediately sprang into action. She scrambled to stand up and started scanning the beach for something. Gold wasn't sure what she was up to; all he could think about was his leg.

Suddenly, she returned with two driftwood branches. She sat down in front of him, placing the branches on either side of his leg. Belle then hiked up the hem of her skirt, revealing a dirty white petticoat underneath. A sliver of leg showed, and Gold couldn't but blanche and stare at the pale skin. She tore at the bottom of it until there was one long strip. Belle struggled to tear it in half, but it eventually gave way and she began to tie one strip below his knee and then the other one above his ankle. She checked to make sure both strips were tied and holding the branches securely in place before standing up. Belle held out both of her hands to him. Gold looked between her and her hands, confused by her intentions.

"I think we need to move more inland, away from the shore. The sun is blasting down on us," she said. "I'll help you up, and we'll limp towards that palm tree over there."

Gold hesitated for a moment, then nodded and allowed her to help him up. When he was fully standing, Belle slipped her arm around his left side, letting him to lean on her. It was both humiliating and a relief. Gold wasn't sure what he would've done had he been stranded by himself.

They slowly made their way to the palm trees. Gold slipped a few times, but Belle remained steadfast and patient.

"Where did you learn to make a leg brace?" Gold asked once they reached the trees.

Belle helped him to sit down before answering. "I…I read about it."

Gold chuckled. "You are quite the avid reader, aren't you?"

Belle shrugged, plopping down next to him. She leaned against the tree and closed her eyes.

Gold took that as his cue to stop asking questions. While they had no choice but to work together to survive, it didn't mean he had the right to pry. He decided to close his eyes as well, hoping that a little rest in the shade would help him find a way to leave the island.

* * *

The next morning, Belle and Gold woke up to rising heat and the loud crashing of the waves.

Belle rubbed her eyes and sat up. Gold soon followed suite. Refusing to look or talk to each other, they silently agreed to work together to find food, water and shelter. It would have done it the day before, but Gold was in too much pain to do any sort of exploring, and Belle was a vigilant nurse.

The duo walked into the forest of palm trees, enjoying the shade they provided. It was still incredibly hot, but the shade gave some relief.

Belle was enjoying a bush of tropical flowers when she tripped over a fallen tree. Crying out, she fell head over heels on the other side of the trunk. Her skirt had flown up over her, tangling her amongst branches, leaves and her own dress.

Gold, who had been resting against a tree, watched the whole incident with great enjoyment. He could barely contain his laughter as he watched her struggle to right herself.

Belle tossed her hair out of her face and glared at Gold. "That was _not_ funny, Gold," she grumbled.

That only made him laugh more, shaking his head in disagreement. After a while, he stopped, but he kept grinning like a schoolboy.

"Oh, dearie, I don't think I've laughed that hard in a long time," he said.

Belle couldn't help but agree. She remembered the serious and rigid captain, who was so unapproachable she could hardly look at his face sometimes. But this relaxed and happy man in front of her, however, was so undeniably attractive, she couldn't help but stare.

Her expression softened and she gave him a wry smile. "I suppose it was a _little_ funny," she consented.

She stood up and brushed off the dirt from her clothes. When she looked up again, Gold was giving her a strange look.

"What is it?" she asked.

Gold shook his head and pushed away from the tree. He hopped on one foot until Belle reached for him and helped him the rest of the way.

* * *

It had been a week since they arrived on the island. In that time, they had managed to explore and had determined the best places to be during the hot, long days and the short, surprisingly cold nights. Gold had long since forgone the leg brace. He had also built himself a staff with a curved dagger that managed to survive with him.

He leaned against the staff and stared out at the ocean, the hem of his shirt billowing in the wind. Belle sat on a large boulder close the rocky side of the island's shoreline; his jacket lay next to her and she was mending his vest with the golden thread that came from her bodice and a need she'd fashioned form a thin piece of bark. She had forgone the dress, wearing only her smock. The neckline was modest, but it was low enough for Gold to catch brief glimpses of her breasts.

"This whole journey hasn't gone quite the way I imagined it," Belle mused.

Gold turned around with raised eyebrows. "Oh? You didn't think that being unwittingly stranded on a deserted island with a cripple was a part of your plan?" he quipped.

Belle glared at him. She had never learned to appreciate his self-deprecating humor, but, he noticed, she enjoyed his occasional quips. "I only meant that I was supposed to be in Port Royal by now," she snapped. "And married to a boorish commodore, playing his little wife in a foreign land with no way to explore it."

Gold's expression softened. He recalled finding her crying beneath the stairs of the cargo hold two weeks after his ship, _Rumplestiltskin,_ had set sail from Portsmouth. Belle had been sobbing so profusely and so loudly, he found a discarded pillow belonging to one of his crew and threw it at her. It had muffled her crying, at least. He had left her alone then, only to feel a little guilty for leaving her in such a state. Not that he admitted it at the time.

Another memory came to mind, but he shook his head to get rid of it. Gold couldn't think of _that,_ not now. Not ever.

He hobbled over to her and sat down next to her. Gold glanced sideways, reading how closed off she was before he tried to apologize.

"I'm sorry, dearie. This whole…debacle, has been affecting me as well."

Belle sighed. She set the vest down and placed her hand on his knee. "I know. I'm sorry for taking it out on you."

Gold turned to her and nodded in understanding. She smiled back as she removed her hand and returned to fixing the vest.

They sat in companionable silence, listening to the waves crashing and the resident seagulls fly overhead.

Gold stood once more and made his way down the beach. Belle paused her work and watched him limp away. She bit her bottom lip as she worried about whether he would fall into the ocean or not. She wasn't sure what she would do without him.

While neither one of them could remember how they got to the island, Belle was certain that they remembered everything before.

* * *

 _The caravel ship gently rocked back and forth. Belle clutched her stomach and moaned as she stumbled to the railing._

 _They had been at sea for only a few hours, and all she wanted was to return home to England. But Belle couldn't do that. She made a promise to her father that she would cross an entire ocean to a foreign place and marry a man she barely knew, all to ensure that Sir Maurice French wouldn't fall into destitution._

 _"Do the brave thing, and bravery will follow." She whispered to herself. Another wave of nausea hit her and she promptly forgot her encouraging words._

 _Belle stared out at the horizon, hoping that it would alleviate her nausea, when she heard the wood beneath her creak. She turned and saw the captain looming behind her. He wasn't tall by any means, but he was intimidating all the same. His shoulder-length hair floated in the breeze and he wore a clean captain's uniform complete with a stiffened cravat. He smirked at her, raising a knowing eyebrow._

 _"Feeling a little ill, dearie?" Captain Gold asked._

 _Not wanting to seem like she was afraid of the man, Belle lifted her chin a little higher and shook her head. The captain's smile widened, revealing a single, glinting gold tooth._

 _The image of a pirate immediately came to her mind, but she mentally shook it off. There was no way a man like Captain Gold was a pirate. He was too clean-cut and serious to be one._

 _"Very well then." He said. Gold was about to walk away when he said, "If you_ do _feel seasick, I suggest going to the bowsprit. It is less choppy there."_

 _Belle mumbled her thanks and returned her attention to the horizon. Gold walked away, barking orders at his crew as he went._

* * *

"Gold, can I ask you a question?" Belle wondered.

The sky was dark and splattered with stars. There was no moon, so only the light of their fire illuminated Gold's quizzical eyebrow.

"I believe you already have," he quipped. Belle narrowed her eyes at him and he chuckled. "Very well, dearie, what do you want to ask?"

"Well, it's sort of personal…" she said.

Gold waved his hand. "Go on. If I don't like the question, I won't answer it."

Belle nodded. She worried her bottom lip before finally asking. "Were you…were you ever a…a _pirate?"_

His expression dropped from being amused to emotionless. He stared at the flames of the fire and remained quiet for a long time.

Belle was about to apologize when he finally spoke. "Yes. Even when we first met, I was a pirate. My crew and I were…trying to be legitimate, when we agreed to take you."

Her eyes widened. She had expected more of a vehement denial or another bout of self-ridicule, not an actual _admission._

"My father was more of a pirate then I ever was. I spent most of my childhood with him on different ships until he dumped me in Jamaica with my two aunts when I was twelve. I hadn't seen him since," Gold explained quietly. "Twenty years later, I became a merchant…of sorts, before turning to piracy. I kept up the cover of merchant because it was more profitable than being a pirate. Of course, that didn't stop me from capturing a ship a time or two."

Belle urged him to go on. Now that he was talking, she was becoming far more interested in her companion.

"Being a beast of the sea had its benefits. I often sold whatever the crew captured if it was valuable enough and if the crew didn't want it. Occasionally, I would do… _favors_ for some individuals. My crew and I were able to accumulate a small fortune, which I put to good use in other ventures," he went on.

"You seem to like making money." She observed.

"I like making _deals_ , dearie," he snapped. "Otherwise I would be back in Jamaica spinning cloth for a pittance."

Belle gave him a dubious look. Gold was clearly hiding something, but she wasn't sure what it was. But she had gleaned past the armor and saw a brief glimpse of a man, at least.

Ever since they met, he sparked her interest. Gold was unlike anyone she had ever met. She knew from watching him in his dealings with the multitude of personalities on the ship that he was quick to find a solution – sometimes he manipulated certain situations into his favor. He was layered, and Belle hoped to peel back those layers to look at the man beyond the hard façade. But on the surface, she saw a handsome man whose eyes crinkled when he smiled, who snarled at even the most vicious seagull while at the same time giving Belle a softer, more fond expression.

Belle hugged her legs closer to her chest, and rested her chin on her knees. She stared at the fire, imagining scenes from her beloved books dancing in the flames until she finally fell asleep.

* * *

 _Belle was jerked awake by the harsh tipping of the ship. She attempted to go back to sleep, but to no avail - not with the ship rocking as it was. She pulled on her wrapper and made her way out of her cabin. She thought a quick walk would help her become accustomed to the movements of the ship._

 _The moment she stepped out onto the moonlit deck, she saw that the crew had gathered around in a circle. Belle could hear multiple voices yelling over the crashing waves. One of the voices she recognized as Captain Gold's._

 _Belle couldn't help but wonder what the mysterious crew of the_ Rumplestiltskin _were doing together. Curiosity got the better of her, so she hid behind a few boxes that was close enough to eavesdrop._

 _"…we're getting close enough to land that we could plunder some heavy merchant ships! You saw those schooners we passed three days ago, Gold." One man said._

 _Belle peered around the corner and saw the First Mate, Killian Jones, waving his hands frantically. She suspected that he was more of a pirate than an actual sailor, and his words only solidified that opinion._

 _"Until our current cargo lands in Port Royal, we won't be plundering_ anything _, Jones," Gold said firmly. "I hope you saw the Naval ships that were not too far behind those merchants. I'm not going to let any of the men get hurt before we fully learn about the waters we're sailing in."_

 _Jones scoffed. "It's only been a year since we've last been in the Caribbean. Nothing should have changed much."_

 _"Ah, but that's where you're wrong, Mr. Jones," Gold snarled. "An awful lot can change in a short of time." He stalked away, ordering the crew to return to their hammocks or duties._

 _Belle pressed herself against the wood, hoping the darkness would mask her long enough thatl she could return to her cabin unnoticed._

* * *

Belle and Gold stood at their usual spot on the rocky beach, vainly searching for passing ships. The wind was beginning to blow harshly. Belle shivered and crossed her arms.

"We have to find shelter." Gold announced, pointing towards the distance.

Belle followed his gaze to the horizon. Dark clouds gathered, and she could hear the faint rumble of thunder. Her stomach fell and her heart started to beat faster. She wasn't sure why she was having such a reaction, but she had a feeling it had something to do with how they became stranded.

"Where could we go? We've searched the whole island for some sort of cave." Belle said.

Gold turned to her, giving her a knowing smile. "Not the whole island."

He led Belle through the stony side of the island. She had briefly explored it the day after they arrived on the island, but after nearly slipping multiple times she gave up. Gold, however, found a less harrowing path. It led to a rock formation with a cave-like alcove. Belle was surprised by the mysterious find.

"Why didn't you tell me you found this place?" she asked.

"You seemed more interested in sleeping outside while the weather was still fine," he said. "I actually stumbled upon this path, and the cave, quite by accident."

"Oh?" Belle raised a disbelieving eyebrow.

Gold glanced at her sheepishly. "It was when we had that argument about the best way to get food. I had stormed off, and in my anger found this place."

They had stepped into the cave just as the rain began to pour. In the fading light, Belle saw that Gold had supplied the place for such emergencies. A fire pit, a pile of firewood and some of the food they both agreed on were carefully organized in the cave.

"I see you were well-prepared for a storm." She said.

Gold shrugged, and carefully sat down in front of the fire pit. He pulled out his dagger and a small rock, he scraped the edge of the dagger against the rock until sparks flew and landed on the pile of sticks he had collected earlier. A fire ignited just as lightning cracked and thunder rolled overhead. Belle looked out and saw rain pounding down.

She shivered as memories of the ship wreck crashed around her. She dropped to her knees next to the fire and wrapped her arms around herself. Her eyes began to water. Gold sat down next to her. He lifted his hand, only to set it back down.

"Belle?" Gold asked.

"I…I remember." Belle whispered.

"Remember…what, exactly?" he asked hesitantly.

Belle turned to him, tears staining her cheeks. "I remember what happened. I remember how we got here."

Realization dawned on Gold. He was beginning to remember as well.

Gold moved closer to Belle, and wrapped a comforting arm around her shoulders. She rested her head on his and they watched the flames dance before them.

* * *

 _Rain pounded heavily on the ship. Belle struggled to remain upright as the ship tilted harshly. She managed to tightly grab onto the mast._

 _Through the rain, she saw the crew scramble to tie everything down. The roar of the crashing waves nearly drowned out Gold's voice._

 _"Batten down the hatches! Tie everything down! Leroy, get to the helm!"_

 _A large wave splashed onto the deck, thoroughly soaking Belle. She gasped and started to slip when a strong arm wrapped around her waist. She pushed her wet hair out of the way and saw Gold was holding her._

 _"Get inside, milady!" he yelled._

 _Belle nodded. She was about to move out of his embrace when the ship tilted dangerously to one side._

 _The men cried out, warning them of a falling sail. The loud creak of breaking wood was almost drowned out by another wave rising and pushing the ship over._

 _Belle and Gold clung to each other as the waves and the broken mast engulfed them._

* * *

The storm continued overhead.

Belle had stopped crying, but she couldn't stop shivering, despite Gold's comforting arms and the roaring fire he kept feeding. It felt so cold to her. She tried to reason that it was from the shock of the memory, but that was not reassuring

Lightning flashed right in front of the mouth of the cave. Belle squeaked in surprise and buried her head against Gold's chest. He wrapped his arms around her and gently rocked her, whispering reassurances. The sound of his voice soothed her, but it also inspired a different emotion – one that was stronger and unfamiliar. Belle could feel his heart beating incredibly fast against her ear. The sound comforted her, only to make her feel guilty about such a selfish emotion when he was apparently just as scared as her. She wanted to offer him the same comfort he had given her.

She pulled away slightly to meet his brown eyes. Before, those eyes were cold, dark and emotionless. Now, they were entirely different. Or perhaps, she thought, they were different simply looking at _her._

Belle's eyes drifted down to his lips. They looked soft to her. Her gaze drifted back up and she saw a wholly different emotion in his eyes, one she was unfamiliar with yet had read about so many times – desire.

Belle sat up on her knees, rising until she was fully eye-to-eye with him. She rested her hands on his shoulders and started to lean in, and she heard his breath hitch as he also leaned in. They stopped when their lips were just inches apart. She realized he was waiting for her consent, so she nodded and closed the small distance between them.

It was just a soft press of the lips at first, until Belle opened her mouth slightly, allowing her lower lip to be covered by Gold's upper. He pulled her closer and his tongued teased out, testing, waiting for an opening. Belle moaned in the back of her throat, wrapped her arms around his neck and opened her mouth wide enough to all his tongue entry. He eagerly began to explore her mouth, finding places she didn't know could set her whole body on fire.

Heat pooled in her belly, and she felt herself pressing even closer to him. She slid her own tongue in his mouth and moved it until she found places that made him moan also.

Gold grunted in her mouth, then lifted her and gently laid her on the ground. She wasn't sure if it was from pleasure or from the pain in his leg, so she pulled away from him. Gold froze, breathing heavily and stared at her with confusion. Belle felt her chest rise and fall heavily as she stared at him. Lifting a shaky hand, she rested it on his cheek.

"Is your leg alright?" she asked in a hoarse whisper.

Gold stared at her blankly for a moment before chuckling. He seemed relieved by her question, she thought. "My leg is fine. A little sore, but it almost always is. The rest of me, however…"

It was Belle's turn to stare at him blankly. She wasn't sure what he meant, until she remembered feeling something hard against her belly as she had kissed him fiercely. As realization dawned on her, her eyes widened and her lips parted.

Belle wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him into another ravenous kiss. Gold lifted himself so he wasn't crushing her. His hands lightly explored her body. She shivered and moaned, loving the way he was touching her.

Gold pulled away from her for a moment. He muttered something about his leg cramping, and rolled on to his back, bringing her with him. Belle giggled when she finally lay on top of him, grinning like a fool. She sat up to straddle him and continued kissing him. She moved her lips to his neck and placed tiny pecks. His hands moved over her again, making her breath hitch.

She began her own explorations of his body, found the edge of his shirt and hesitantly slid her hand underneath. She scraped her fingernails against his belly and chest, causing him to moan. Belle could feel his fingers slide up her exposed leg as he began kissing her neck. She hummed with pleasure, rubbing her hands over his chest.

Gold's hand went up her leg higher until he reached her groin. She tensed up for a moment, which caused him to stop. They were breathing heavily once again and they simply stared at each other for a long moment. The storm continued behind them and the fire was waning.

"If…if you don't want this…you can say no. At any time," Gold whispered.

Belle bit her lip and nodded. She appreciated his reassurances, and as scared as she felt, she didn't want him to stop. He then cautiously moved his hand back, gently sliding one finger inside of her. She gasped and bucked in surprise. Feeling confident, he slid a second finger, then a third, and stealthily moved them inside her, hitting places that caused incredible pleasure she never knew of before.

He moved his fingers slowly at first, then quickened their pace. She couldn't help the noises that were coming from her. He added his thumb to the mix, which only added to the intensity of a build up to… to _something._ All the sudden, she felt herself tighten around his fingers and cry out in both pleasure and pain. Belle felt like she had flown high up into the sky and crashed down just as heavily. She collapsed on top of him, gasping for breath.

Gold removed his fingers and rubbed her back, soothing her from the intense orgasm. Belle lifted her head and smiled.

"I think it's your turn now." She said wantonly.

Gold chuckled and shook his head. "There's time for that later. Right now…right now I need to be inside you."

Belle felt herself blush a deep red. This was the moment she both feared and anxiously waited for, ever since her housekeeper Mrs. Potts had gently warned her about the duties of a wife. She gulped and nodded again.

"Before we…do that…I need to ask you something." Belle asked hesitantly.

"Of course, anything, sweetheart." He said.

Belle smiled at the new, kind endearment. "Can I…I would like to know your name. Your given name."

Gold's eyes widened in surprised, but he quickly schooled his features before answering. "Rum."

She lifted a skeptical eyebrow. "Really?"

"As I told you, my father was a pirate. He wasn't terribly creative with names."

Belle bit her lower lip to contain her giggle. "Very well then, _Rum_. I'm ready."

He smiled. He indicated for her to lift herself so he could remove his trousers. Belle slid off him and saw him release his member. It was hard and stiff, standing straight up to his belly. She gulped again, unsure how it was going to fit inside her.

Gold saw her trepidation and rested his hand on her cheek. "It may hurt at first, but I promise it will get better. And it will fit," he reassured her.

She nodded and started to straddle him once more. He held on to her hips and slowly guided her down his shaft until he was completely sheathed inside her. They stopped for a moment, allowing her time to get used to the feeling of him. When she was ready, she nodded for him to proceed. Gold urged her to lift herself up again before coming back down again. He had her do it a few times until she understood her role and the rhythm he was setting. She felt the build-up again, only now it felt like she was climbing as they moved together.

"Just move your hips… _aye_ , yes, that's it…" he growled.

They began to move faster, then they moved harder. Belle gasped and moaned, feeling herself get closer to another fulfilling high. Gold brought a hand between them, and started to play with her hidden pearl.

Finally, Belle called out his name and screamed at the top of her lungs. He followed after her and they both fell limp next to each other.

Belle curled up against his side, feeling impossibly tired. Before she fell asleep, she felt him plant a small kiss on her forehead.

* * *

Belle woke up to sunlight streaming into the cave. She moaned quietly moved closer to Gold's side. He stirred as well, giving her a quick squeeze. She lifted her head and saw his bleary brown eyes. He gave her a small smile.

"Are you alright, sweetheart?" he asked her quietly.

"A little sore, but I'm alright," she replied. "You?"

Gold's smile widened. "Never been better."

Belle returned the smile, then moved to kiss him. He happily returned the kiss before pulling away.

"I believe the rain has stopped," he stated.

"Your powers of observation never cease to amaze me, Rum." Belle giggled.

Gold laughed as well before moving away from her and sitting up. Belle followed suit.

She looked around and saw that the fire had died down and the mouth of the cave dripped with excess water. Slowly, she began to stand up. She winced when she felt a sharp pain between her legs, but it was eclipsed only by the contentment she felt.

Gold also began to stand up, though more stiffly than she did. When he had a good hold of his staff, they walked outside of the cave together.

The rocks were wet and glistening from the storm, making their trek back to the sandy beach hazardous. When they finally reached the shore, they both stopped and stared at the horizon. Gold wrapped an arm around her and kissed her temple. Belle sighed and rested her head on his shoulder.

They stood there for a long time when a peculiar shape appeared on the horizon. Belle jerked her head up and lifted a hand to shade her eyes. It couldn't be…

"Rum, do you see that?" she asked.

Gold squinted. He removed his arm from her shoulders and lifted his hand

"I think…I think that's a ship!" he exclaimed happily.

Belle gave a relieved laugh and smiled widely. She hopped excitedly and threw her arms around Gold in a tight embrace. He picked her up and spun her around, then he finally set her down when the pain became too much. They kissed each other fiercely, grinning like happy fools.

"We should build a bonfire," Belle suggested.

Gold nodded in agreement. They began to scramble, gathering driftwood, leaves, anything that could be burned. They waited until they could see if the ship was an enemy or ally before they lit the fire.

When they saw the ship float closer, Gold saw that it was a British merchant ship. He gestured to Belle and she started the fire. The flames roared to life, smoke climbing high into the sky. They jumped and waved, calling out to the distant vessel.

Belle was beginning to lose hope when she saw the ship draw even closer and men waved back.

It anchored beyond the shallows, and a rowboat to rescue them.

The transference from shore to boat to ship was all a blur to Belle. Gold seemed to be handling the situation well, so she allowed him to take the lead.

Once the rowboat was safely tied up and the anchor raised, the ship took off in the direction of the Cayman Islands. Belle and Gold found themselves to be relatively alone, so they embraced tightly and fiercely.

It was in that moment that Belle had a realization: no matter where she was in the world, be it a bustling city like London or a deserted island like the one they left behind, so long as she was in Rum Gold's arms, she was home.


End file.
